A NORTH Pembrokeshire care farm, which has put the community at the heart of its diversification, has been nominated for a national rural award.

Clynfyw Care Farm, based in Abercych, has been nominated for the Best Rural Diversification Project in the Rural Business Awards, after winning the Wales regional final.

The award, sponsored by leading property consultancy Fisher German, recognises farms that have gone above and beyond to offer something different to bring in more customers.

Clynfyw Care Farm is a Community Interest Company which supports disabled and vulnerable people from across the local area.

Clynfyw Farm has been run by the Lewis-Bowen family since the 1750s, and it was in 1985 that holiday cottages on the site were made wheelchair accessible.

Due to their success and a growing local need, the care farm was launched in 2011. It runs six days a week, providing interesting, fun and educational projects and activities for vulnerable people.

It also supports eight people living in cottages on the site, offers a respite service and is a major local employer in the rural area with 40 members of staff.

Jim Bowen, Clynfyw Care Farm manager, said: "We have around 40 people that visit the care farm on a regular basis for our day service.

"The projects are based around the interests and needs of the people that come here, so we do everything from arts and crafts, drama and music to growing projects, apple juicing and charcoal making.

"We also run projects which allow people to contribute and make a difference, one of our most successful being The Wheelie Good Idea where we fix wheelchairs and send them in shipping containers to those in need in South Africa.

"The project was launched after a few people said they had an interest in fixing things such as bicycles, and now we are making a positive difference on a global scale.

"We are not grant-dependant but are funded through council contracts and are financially robust.

"We are a huge advocate of care farms and are keen to see more established so that vulnerable people in rural areas aren't left behind as we see more and more funding cuts to services.

"They are also key for building resilience in rural communities as the detrimental effect of the climate crisis changes our social structure.

"We have even written a book about how to run care farms to encourage more people to set them up.

"We are extremely proud to win a regional Rural Business Award and be recognised for our work, and we now look forward to the finals."

The Rural Business Awards recognise the best rural businesses and farms from all over England and Wales, and will be held at The Monastery in Manchester on Thursday, February 27.

David Merton, head of rural at Fisher German, said: "Clynfyw Care Farm is a fantastic example of how diversification can have a hugely positive effect on a rural community.

"The work they are doing is incredibly inspiring, and it is excellent to hear that the farm is financially robust while changing the lives of local people, and even those further afield."